Tire question

[MrOzz]

Do you think it ok to run 2 different types/brand of tire front to back. I know with cars you want to keep the same brand/type on the rears/front. The reason I ask is, I have to replace the rear. The front still has some life in it, and I don't want to replace both if I don't have too.

Thanks All,

Ozz

[psycoreefer]

You don't have to, but IMHO you should. Different tires could cause strange handling just like in your car, only worse because your not as protected on your bike.

Why not buy another rear the same as the one you have now?

[WMarshy]

A tire is a tire...

LoL great topic, I cant wait to see all the replies. IMO a tire is a tire! As long as its round and holds air then I dont care. I miss match my front and rear because they wear at different rates and I dont always buy the same kind. Different tires can make the bike feel/handle different but I've never had anything bad come of it.

On my car, I make sure at minimum I have the same two tires on the front or on back. Some times I will run a different sidewall height on the front compared to the back if I have to but, on my 4wd jeep I always run the same sizes all around.

[Ivan]

I have run mismatched tires with no problems.

[bikerphil]

Better to run both the same, but OK to run different. Don't run a radial with a bias ply though.

[cywelchjr]

Actually as I understand it, you can mix radial and bias ply, but there is a rule to doing it safely, You can run a bias ply on the front and a radial on the back, but not the other way around. It has something to do with how a radial will follow a bias ply just fine, but it won't lead one worth a darn. I think it's to do with how a radial will allow the rim to shift in relation to the contact patch in a turn where a bias ply does not. That's not a problem generally with the following tire, but can be a real scary pain if the radial is the leading front tire.

Now I could be wrong, but this is what both my experience has been with cages and what I have been told by tire guys. I think that a bike would be the same, although with our limited sidewall height on the tires that fit our bikes I'm not sure it it would be as bad, if you can even find a radial in our sizes.

[trbig]

Better to run both the same, but OK to run different.

Not necessarily. I've run the same a couple times, and am currently, but the best performance I've gotten is by a mismatch, and will again when this front tire is gone.

I'm not trying to push a brand or start a war, just a "for instance". The Elite 3 is the best tire FOR ME PERSONALLY for performance/longevity that I have found for my particular riding style. The Elite 3 front is OK (Not great) in the dry, but downright scary in the wet. The two tread patterns are totally different, so saying a matched set is best as a general rule... I'm gonna say is bunk.

Each tire has a different job to do. Find the one that does each job the best FOR YOU PERSONALLY. If that happens to be the same brand.. great, but I sure wouldn't assume that they have to be matched to be best. Just my 2 cents.


Tod

[WMarshy]

Not necessarily. I've run the same a couple times, and am currently, but the best performance I've gotten is by a mismatch, and will again when this front tire is gone.

I'm not trying to push a brand or start a war, just a "for instance". The Elite 3 is the best tire FOR ME PERSONALLY for performance/longevity that I have found for my particular riding style. The Elite 3 front is OK (Not great) in the dry, but downright scary in the wet. The two tread patterns are totally different, so saying a matched set is best as a general rule... I'm gonna say is bunk.

Each tire has a different job to do. Find the one that does each job the best FOR YOU PERSONALLY. If that happens to be the same brand.. great, but I sure wouldn't assume that they have to be matched to be best. Just my 2 cents.


Tod

SO... what are you putting on your fornt? I need a new fornt and would appreciate your advice.

[trbig]

LOL.. Great. Here's where it starts...

Honestly, it's the combination that worked best for me, but may not for you and your riding style. For me, the Elite 3 rear and the Avon Venom front was the best combo. With something other than the Elite on the rear.. who knows? And there again... the Avon tire is the best one I've run up front, but the Avon rear was a very unimpressive tire for me personally. In that case, a matching set wouldn't have worked best either.

Let me state again.. what's best for me isn't going to necessarily be the best for you. For Dan Hodges, the Bridgestone Battleaxe is the best tire he's run and won't buy anything else. For me, that was the absolute worst performing lowest mileage tire I have ever used. He rides mostly straight, I try to wear the sides off before the middle. He doesn't care about mileage since he doesn't ride a lot of miles, but mileage is a BIG factor for me as well as performance. I'll usually wear out two rears and front in a season. With the Battleaxe, I would have run through about 9 or 10 rears of them in a season with the mileage I got out of it. Yes, seriously. They may go straight well, but are VERY thin sidewalled, which flexes easily. Not a good thing for ripping up twisties.

I've heard good and bad from just about every tire except Metzlers. The only downfall/bad thing to them are the price and they don't go as long as I'd like a tire to. Everyone I know that tries them loves them. If you only ride 3k a year.. that shouldn't matter, and they'd be a good investment. A lot of people need to (Or SHOULD) replace tires due to age before they actually wear them out. If that were my case, I'd look for strictly performance. If the Metzlers lasted longer, I'd try them. Most get @ 10k out of them on the rear. The last two Elite 3s I ran on the rear, I got 16k and 14k (I think.. swapped out speedo) out of them riding like an idiot. Current mileage on the one I have looks to be in the same ballpark. I hope the front isn't equally as long lasting.. lol. So, with my financially embarrassed state, and with the performance they give me, I'll stick with them for the rear. Right up until they make a car tire I can squeeze under there and get about 40k out of! lol.


Tod

[WMarshy]

Thanks! LOL now was that so bad? I think we have a similar riding style I got in 10K miles last year and plan to get in more this year. I cant quite remember what I put on the rear but it lasted about 6K miles so far and I suspect it only has another 2K tops (if im lucky).

[3Phase]

If the Metzlers lasted longer, I'd try them. Most get @ 10k out of them on the rear. The last two Elite 3s I ran on the rear, I got 16k and 14k (I think.. swapped out speedo) out of them ...

Man, Tod, I wish Metzlers lasted longer but they're about the best I can find for my Standard. I get about two to one rear/front per season with them; about 12K miles out of the last front tire.

I think you have the 16" rear tire on your XJ? Unfortunately the Elite 3 isn't available in 17" for the Standards or I'd try one in a heartbeat; mixed brands or no mixed brands.


Regards,

Scott

[greatnw]

I've run mismatched no problem. Was riding my son-in-law's 84' Honda Sabre with a poor back tire for a year before I got my XS1100. Picked up a couple of like new Metzler Lazertec's from a guy who took them off of a new Triumph. The rear is a radial and the front a bias ply. From the factory! Metzler says on their website and in their catalog that this is ok. Not the other way around for some reason.
That bike had been a lot squirelly over any imperfection in the road. I thought something was wrong with the front tire or forks or something. After putting on a new radial rear tire that thing was like it was velcro'd to the ground! Unbelievable.
I put the Metzler on the front of my XS1100SG where it's doing great. I'll put the radial Metzler lazertec on the back when the current tire wears out.
Mixing is fine in my book by both brand and construction.

[trbig]

Unfortunately the Elite 3 isn't available in 17" for the Standards

Yeah, you are pretty limited on tire choices with the 17" rim. You could get a 16" rim for it. There's very little difference in the outside tire circumference on the 16" tires versus the 17", and you'd have a lot more options.


Tod

[Poprock]

I'm running a Metzler ME 880 front, E III rear. Metzler is the best handling and riding front tire I've had. At 4K it still looks new. Bike handles well in the twisties.

[WMarshy]

Yea...my front tire is a little chopped up, I think some new progressive springs, fork oil, tire and a Tkat brace is going to make me a happy man this season.

Does a '79 SF have a 16 inch rear rim? I hope they do b/c I have a SF for parts that I could use (2 hours away).